Equal Access to the Digital World
For a long time special education has been seen as something separate and apart from regular classroom instruction. With advances in technology and more research on students with special or unique learning needs, it is becoming much easier to educate everyone equally while meeting all learning styles. We're required as teachers to educate everyone equally and many times that is challenging and not at all equal. I believe that with the advances in technology and studies about the brain and how we learn, it's possible to change the way we teach. One thing that can help special needs students to be included into regular classroom instruction is the use of assistive technology. This can range from simple pieces of technology that can answer for students to high powered PC's that help students connect on the internet in a way in which they can't in real life. Special needs students, gifted students, and hyperactive students are not the only ones who can benefit from this either. All students can benefit from programs geared toward their specific learning styles and different needs they may have in the classroom. Finding different ways to incorporate technology into the curriculum and changing the way we perceive teaching can change the lives of students who may have slipped through the cracks. This way we can provide equal access to technology through the curriculum in a way that engages and sparks interests and passions in students.
